9 Years, No Grade 'A': Turkana's KCSE Crisis

Turkana KCSE Drought: No Grade ‘A’ Since 2015 .

National schools across Kenya celebrated stellar 2024 KCSE results with numerous Grade As, but Turkana County’s drought of top grades persists.

The last Grade A was recorded in 2015 by Samwel Nakata of Lodwar Boys High School, who scored an A plain of 82 points.

Since then, emerging schools like Katilu Boys and private institutions like Destiny Boys High School have performed better than former academic giants Lodwar Boys and Turkana Girls.

Lodwar Boys High School’s principal, Patrick Lokwayen, highlighted challenges that hinder the school’s competitiveness.

He noted that insecurity along the Kapenguria-Lokichar road deters many students recommended by the national government from reporting. Consequently, the school admits students with lower marks, sometimes as low as 270 in KCPE, instead of the expected 390 and above.

Lokwayen stated that poor performance in languages also affects overall grades. He explained that while students may excel in other subjects, weaker grades in English often lower their mean scores. He added that their best grade since 2015 has been an A-.

2024 KCSE Results

The 2024 KCSE results at Lodwar Boys included:

With a mean score of 6.5888, 107 out of 216 students qualified for university, while others were encouraged to join tertiary institutions.

Hope in the New Curriculum

The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) offers a glimmer of hope for Lodwar Boys. Lokwayen believes that the option for students to excel in one language instead of two will improve their chances of achieving higher grades.

Turkana Girls National School has also struggled to produce Grade As, with its top candidates typically scoring A-.

Principal Sister Florence Nabwire urged media outlets to spotlight the challenges they face. At AIC Song’ot Boys, an A- was recorded, while results from Katilu Boys Secondary School remain withheld, causing anxiety among stakeholders.

Security in the region has improved due to the multi-agency Operation Maliza Uhalifu, boosting confidence among parents.

Turkana Professional Association Chairman Jackson Nakusa emphasized the need for mentorship, infrastructure development, and identifying factors behind poor grades. He encouraged students with lower grades to enroll in technical training institutes.

Community Frustration

Residents have expressed frustration over the county’s performance. Critics, like Brandon Kerio, argued that principals should transform students with lower marks into top performers.

Others, like Robert Ewoton, questioned the management of Lodwar Boys, suggesting that non-local leadership might bring change.

Education official Johnston Kitoi assured Katilu Boys’ parents that the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) is addressing the issue of withheld results. Turkana Senator James Lomenen questioned why results were withheld despite Knec’s inspection during the exams.

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In 2019, only 227 out of 8,000 candidates in Turkana County qualified for university, prompting concern from former Governor Josphat Nanok. He lamented the lack of local engineers and specialized doctors and called for urgent stakeholder meetings to address the crisis.

To address the educational gap, the county government and USAID’s Nawiri-funded Ujuzi Mashinani Programme focus on equipping school dropouts with vocational skills. Training areas include masonry, tailoring, boat making, phone repair, and motorbike repair.

Conclusion

While challenges persist, stakeholders remain hopeful that improved security, curriculum reforms, and targeted mentorship programs will help Turkana’s schools reclaim their lost academic glory. For now, efforts must focus on addressing systemic issues and leveraging vocational training to empower the region’s youth.

Turkana KCSE Drought: No Grade ‘A’ Since 2015 .

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